Saddle up and join the road biking club

Inspired by our Olympic heroes, thousands of us have caught the bug for road
biking, says Maria Fitzpatrick.

Road biking can be a very sociable sport if you cycle in a group

4:39PM BST 09 Oct 2012

Sheepskin bike saddle anyone? It would once have been just the latest ridiculous sport-themed fashion accessory, but with the nation in the throes of cycling fever and the cold-bottomed reality of autumn setting in, a waiting list is forming.

Two million of us are now cycling at least once a week. Inspired by our new Team GB sporting heroes, particularly the charismatic road racers, we are bounding into bike shops and joining cycle clubs across the country, determined to get in on the action. Evans Cycles and Halfords have both seen record sales of road bikes (particularly in the £700-£2,000 bracket) in every region of the UK this summer. Meanwhile, membership of British Cycling has soared to 59,000 members – 10,000 of whom have joined since Bradley Wiggins crossed the Tour de France finishing line in July.

Inspiration: Olympic silver medallist Lizzie Armitstead

It’s a trend that has been picking up pace for a while. The number of men aged 35-44 buying road bikes has surged since 2010 (3.7 million of them were sold in 2011 alone), leading to the “Lycra tribes” we’ve all spotted in our towns and parks, comparing their equipment as much as engaging in any actual cycling. But the wave of public euphoria in response to the London 2012 road races has pushed things up several gears, prompting the chief executive of British Cycling to declare that “cycling in this country has never been in better health”. Essentially, we’re looking at a two-wheel revolution.

A social network for cyclists launched this summer by British Cycling already has 12,000 members.

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“We were getting feedback from people taking part in SkyRides around the country that they wanted to cycle more frequently, but often that meant cycling alone,” says Emma Bates at British Cycling. “It’s fine to go for a cycle with your partner or your child, but finding someone at the appropriate level was proving difficult for them.”

The social network enables cyclists to create a profile of their experience, the distance they want to cover, even the type of bike they have, and link up with people who have the same priorities in mind. Some 264 groups have formed around the country, and they are developing new routes and challenges at their own pace.

“I think road cycling is booming because it’s such a sociable sport,” Bates observes. “When you cycle with a group you can cover 20 miles before you know it because you’re having a chat. And of course it’s accessible. It’s not like taking up gymnastics; most people have had a bike at some point in their lives, and the sporting events of this year have given them the push to take it to the next level.”

Existing clubs are also being inundated with new members, giving rise to a new level of competition. Those Lycra lads are no longer just going for a spin, they’re talking tactics and pondering pelotons. Meanwhile, wannabe Lizzie Armitsteads are in hot pursuit: a Sport England review reports a sharp spike in the number of women getting involved with road cycling clubs.

Emily Conrad-Pickles, 30, who works in marketing, is a member of the Gosforth Road Club in Northumberland.

“We’re a mixed group – everyone from juniors to 60-year-olds,” she says. “It is a bit of a challenge, as you’re riding with people who are really very good as well as complete beginners. At first it was a case of just trying to keep up, but now I’m cycling 60 miles most Saturdays or Sundays; it’s completely addictive – particularly as we have miles of beautiful countryside as our backdrop.

Fun for all: Emily Conrad-Pickles, above, cycles with a club group of mixed abilities

“I’m still new to it, but you pick up so much advice from the group about kit and how to sit properly in the saddle and use the gears effectively. Some are more competitive than others, but it’s great fun. Your fitness soars quickly, but I’m doing extra spinning classes to nudge things along. I’ve definitely got the bug!”

Emily is gearing up for a few triathlons and race events next year. “It doesn’t have to be about competition, though; I have had problems with my hips in the past, due to impact sports like running, and the cycling has solved the problem. I also cycle with people who needed to lose weight, meet new people, or just joined for want of something to do at the weekends.”

Others, like Gavin Hughes, a 45-year-old who lives in Surrey, have made the leap from commuting to competing. Hughes got into competitive cycling “by accident” and has become almost evangelical about the sport, having lost a lot of weight. Incidentally, according to research by the London School of Economics, regular cyclists take fewer sick days from work, saving the economy £128 million each year – not to mention the benefits to the environment and congestion levels.

“I dug out my old mountain bike because my employer introduced a Friday 'no drive day’,” Gavin says. “My speed increased, I bought a new road bike, and the benefits of cycling 150 miles each week were so great I used to try to 'recruit’ at work so that I’d have people to cycle with. Since the Olympics I don’t have to try: my colleagues are embracing it in their droves.”

Hughes takes part in sportives, a form of long-distance competition organised by British Cycling – Biggin Hill last weekend, Dorking next – and even took part in this summer’s L’Etape du Tour, a stage of the Tour de France (this year in the Alps) which is opened up to amateurs. “Then I cycled home!” he laughs.

“It was the most wonderful, life-affirming experience, and now I want to join a club. The camaraderie is such a big part of it. Obviously when you get a lot of middle-aged men together, it gets quite competitive, but as a general rule the times aren’t printed as a spreadsheet; it’s about the ride as much as the race.”

Over 20,000 people across the country regularly take part in the 3,500 competitive cycling events that take place each year, including the hugely popular sportives.

Matt Winston, coach to Lucy Garner – who has just retained her junior world road race title at the World Championships in Valkenburg – says it is is the perfect time to get started.

“The road-racing season ends in mid-September, and begins again in February, but the club scene really fires up over the winter. You get big groups going out on training rides, which are very social and allow everyone to get to know each other.

“After Christmas the training gets more intense. People tend not to stop at cafés halfway any more, and instead try to get quicker and fitter in preparation for the next race season.”

How to get started

By Matt Winston, British Cycling’s Olympic Development Programme Coach

Bike Start with a road bike in the £400-£1,000 price range. You’ll need dropped handlebars but don’t get professional Aerobars, or Tribars, as they take your hands away from the brakes.*

Kit Shoes that clip into the pedals for efficient riding. A £30-£40 helmet is fine. Get padded leggings and a brightly coloured top that is fairly warm in case you break down.

Clubs A list of “Go Ride” clubs around Britain can be found on the British Cycling website. They offer coaching for beginners and traffic-free cycling environments.

Technique Practise clipping off the pedals before you start or you’ll topple over at traffic lights. Relax your shoulders, arms and grip. Pedal in full circles rather than “stomping” movements. Learn to cycle behind somebody to reduce wind resistance, which saves energy.

Racing You don’t need to aim to win; when you feel confident, racing provides great experience. You need to learn what you’re good at, be it climbing hills like Bradley Wiggins (inset) or a sprint finish like Mark Cavendish.

• You don’t need to be very fit to start out; a steady pace and reasonable distance should be attainable for most beginners. Your fitness will improve fairly rapidly as your body adapts.

• Good abdominal strength is helpful, and single-leg squats may improve your leg and buttock strength and balance.

• Ensure you have the correct saddle height (too low and you will work your front legs, knee area and your back needlessly, too high and you will overwork the back of the legs and feel unstable around the hip area). You should have just a slight bend in the knee area at the bottom of your cycle stroke.

• Ideally you should be in a relaxed position with your shoulders down and your neck in line with your spine. This will provide you with the most comfortable, safe and effective cycle and reduce your chances of injury.

• When taking corners your inside knee should be up, your outside leg straight, with most of your weight on the outside leg as you go around. Look at where you want to be rather than directly front of you. Slow in, quick out of corners is a good maxim for beginners.

• To reduce numbness, change the position of your hands and shift around now and then on the saddle.

• Avoid pedalling in a high gear for extended periods – you should be aiming for between 70 and 90rpm. This will help avoid knee strain and make the journey smoother and more enduring.

• Post-exercise, focus on stretching the legs, calves, and the ilio-tibial band (ITB), the strong connective tissue that runs the length of the thigh, from the top of the hip to the kneecap.

Planning your ride

• To ride with a group, join a ride led by a British Cycling-trained leader or follow pre-planned routes, go to British Cycling’s Cycling For Fun website (goskyride.com).

• Set up your own social cycling group at goskyride.com/social-cycling-groups. You can plan new routes or follow tried-and-tested ones using British Cycling Mapping.